What in the Woods Is That?

Play our biweekly guessing game!

Whatever draws us into the forest—be it birdwatching or logging, hiking or hunting—all of us are unified by the sense of wonder we feel in the outdoors. The forests, fields, and streams of our region are full of mystery, and if you stop and look closely, you’ll see all sorts of oddities.

Below find a picture of one such woodlands curio. Guess what it is and you’ll be eligible to win a Northern Woodlands woodpecker magnet designed by artist Liz Wahid. A prize winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries. The correct answer, and the winner’s name, will appear when the next column is posted and in our newsletter (sign up here!).

One of these days these leaves are gonna…

We found this odd-looking plant growing on a moss-covered boulder in a Vermont sugarbush. What is it?

Answer

Walking Fern.

The walking fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum) – known in some areas as walking spleenwort – got its name from its ability to “walk” across the ground: when the frond tips touch moist ground, a new fern can grow, so the plant seems to be moving. Look for these special ferns on moss-covered limestone boulders. Walking fern is identified as endangered or threatened in many states; it’s extirpated in Maine.

This week’s contest winner was Dawn Morgan of Orono, Maine